Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Prolaio • Chicago, IL

2d

About The Position

Prolaio is seeking a strategic and execution-oriented Chief Information Officer (CIO) to lead the company’s enterprise technology function. The CIO will be responsible for defining and executing Prolaio’s technology strategy, ensuring a secure, scalable, and compliant IT environment across all business operations.
This role oversees core enterprise IT functions while building the modern digital foundation required to support AI-driven analytics, decentralized clinical trials, real-world data integration, and global manufacturing operations. The CIO will play a critical role in enabling Prolaio’s growth through robust systems architecture, data infrastructure, and operational excellence.
In addition, the CIO serves as Prolaio’s executive owner of information security, risk management, and cybersecurity governance. This includes designing and leading a comprehensive security program capable of meeting CISO-level expectations as the organization scales in a highly regulated healthcare environment.
The CIO will partner closely with the Prolaio Leadership Team and Kardigan leadership to ensure the company has the technology platforms, data pipelines, and cybersecurity posture necessary to operate safely, efficiently, and in full regulatory compliance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 12+ years of progressively senior IT leadership roles, ideally in biotech, medtech, or a regulated healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise IT operations, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity programs.
• Strong understanding of HIPAA, GxP/CSV/CSA, and data privacy regulations.
• Experience implementing Zero Trust security concepts and managing modern cloud environments (AWS/Azure/GCP).
• Proven ability to modernize enterprise systems and implement API-first architectures.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting AI/ML infrastructure, including GPU clusters, vector databases, or similar environments.
• Prior work with decentralized clinical trials, connected medical devices, or large-scale data collection workflows.
• Experience negotiating cloud service agreements that include data protection and AI-specific considerations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the enterprise IT roadmap aligned with Prolaio and Kardigan business goals.
• Establish policies for access control, data governance, business continuity, and IT risk management.
• Oversee delivery of mission-critical IT services including helpdesk, end-user computing, HRIS, ERP/Finance systems, and communication platforms.
• Ensure reliability and uptime targets for clinical operations and internal systems.
• Ensure alignment with HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, GxP, and emerging regulatory requirements.
• Maintain robust incident response, vulnerability management, and identity management programs.
• Lead procurement, contract negotiation, and performance management for cloud, software, and hardware vendors.
• Manage relationships with Kardigan’s IT teams to ensure alignment of shared systems and policies.
• Own third-party risk management (TPRM), including vendor security assessments, ongoing monitoring, and remediation tracking.
• Ensure security controls extend to device manufacturers, cloud providers, CRO partners, and data processors.
• Own Prolaio’s enterprise cybersecurity strategy, risk posture, and security roadmap.
• Establish and maintain an enterprise risk management framework covering IT, product, clinical, and research environments.
• Define risk tolerance thresholds and escalate material risks to executive leadership and the Board as appropriate.
• Build and lead a high-performing IT organization with clear roles across security, service delivery, cloud operations, and enterprise architecture.
• Design and manage the infrastructure required to support AI/ML workloads, including scalable cloud environments and high-performance compute resources (HPC/GPU).
• Support secure data movement between sensors, patient devices, trial sites, and internal systems.
• Implement edge computing capabilities for decentralized clinical trials, enabling low-latency, secure data processing at the device level before synchronization to central systems.
• Lead adoption of a Zero Trust security model to protect all endpoints—employee, partner, and patient-facing.
• Partner with the CISO to defend against AI-specific threats such as model exploitation and data poisoning.
• Modernize legacy systems to support interoperability and integration with analytics and AI platforms.
• Enable near-real-time data exchange between operational systems and the CDAO’s analytics environments.
• Maintain clear ownership lines with partners such as the CDAO (models & analytics), CPO/Engineering (product software), and Operations (manufacturing systems).
• Ensure infrastructure scalability for global clinical trials and supply chain operations.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, performance bonus, and equity so you can share in what we build.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans with multiple options and strong company contributions.
• HSA, FSA, commuter benefits, and a $1,200 annual Lifestyle Spending Account to support wellness, commuting, family needs, and more.
• Generous paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays.
• Paid parental leave, caregiver leave, and support for growing families.
• Company-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• 401(k) plan to help you build long-term financial security.
• Easy access to telehealth and optional supplemental coverage for life’s unexpected moments.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees